An unassuming 1827 cob barn tucked away on a farm at O'Connell will remain standing for generations to come thanks to two NSW Government heritage grants.
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Lindlegreen Barn can now be preserved after the Friends of Lindlegreen and owner Brad Hargans were granted $150,000 for restoration works and another $20,000 for the preparation of a conservation management plan for the building.
Bathurst MP Toole said the vision was to restore the rare 1827 colonial cob barn to its original condition.
He said it had local, state and national significance.
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"Lindlegreen Barn is well constructed but lack of appropriate care in recent decades has made it vulnerable and at imminent risk of partial collapse," Mr Toole said.
"The fabric of the building is fragile and urgent work is needed to stabilise ongoing structural cracking and movement, halt further deterioration of extensively eroded earth walls and install adequate drainage.
"Repairs will be authentic using traditional cob building techniques.
"The proposed and carefully researched and investigated works involving a range of heritage specialists will go a long way to ensuring Lindlegreen Barn remains as a permanent reminder of a bygone era."
Mr Toole said the barn demonstrates traditional Welsh, English, Scottish and Irish earth building techniques brought to Australia by the colonists and used in rural NSW when transport of other suitable building materials was difficult and costly.
Repairs will be authentic using traditional cob building techniques.
- Bathurst MP Paul Toole
"The cob method involves kneading soil, clay, straw and water into a pliable muddy mix which is laid and trampled then smoothed as a continuous course of solid thick walls," he said.
"Each course has to dry and set before the next is laid in a time-consuming but effective process.
"The significance of the barn was recognised by the property owner and a local community group the Friends of Lindlegreen who are keen advocates for the recognition and protection of local heritage places.
"The fact it was recently listed on the State Heritage Register is a great example of people valuing precious pieces of our past."
See here for more information about the projects and the NSW Government's Heritage Grants.
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